Reversible snow plow



Dec. 31, 1957 s. w. KENYON 2,817,910

' REVERSIBLE snow PLOW 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug, 4, 1954 ATTORNEY 9 -22 GEORGE w. KENYON 22 \NVENTOR 22 r Y 3 g ,1,

Dec. 31, 1957 Filed Aug. 4, 1954 G. w. KENYON 2,817,910

REVERSIBLE snow PLOW 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 -4| GEORGE W KENYON INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 1957 w, KENYON 2,817,910

REVERSIBLE SNOW PLOW Filed Aug. 4, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet s GEORGE W. KENYON INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,817,910 REVERSIBLE SNOW PLOW George W. Kenyon, Clayton, N. Y, a'ssiguor to Frink @no-glom, Inc., Clayton, N; Y., a corporation'of New Application August 4, 1954-, Serial No; 447,759" senims. (C1. 37-42) This inventionrelates to a reversible snow plow adapted for mounting: on the'front end of a motor vehicle, and relates more particularly tosuch a snow plowhaving amoldboard-that-is angularly reversible for plowing to either sideof aroad by inverting the entire moldboard.

Displacement typesnow plows intended for front end mounting on motor vehicles have heretofore been of three basictypes: (1) taperblade V type, (2-) taper blade one-way type, and (3) bulldozer reversible blade type, in which the blade has; parallel upper and lower edges The bulldozer typehas the-advantage-that is can readily be reversed, that is to say,-angled t-o'either side for plowing first to one and then to the other side of' a road, by pivoting. it about a substantially vertical axis. But the bulldozer type lacks the snow moving advantages inherent in the taper blade types. With the taper blade types, the flaring moldboardraises thesnow as it moves toward the discharge end of the moldboard, whereas the bulldozen type slides the snow along the roadway and moldboard, which tends to compact the snow. Lifting the snow consumes less power, permits throwing it farther from the strip being cleared, and provides better dispersal of the snow, thus: retarding the building of side banks. But-in order to plow either side of aroad with a taper blade while proceeding in one direction, it has heretofore been necessary t-ouse a V. type plow. The V type has the disadvantage that, after the initialtrip, only one-half the width of the V blade is available for widening the plowed strip.

The present invention combines theadvantages of both thetaper blade one-w-ay' and the bulldozerreversible blade types, providing a single blade of the taper or flaring moldboard type which is reversibleforplowing-to either side by inverting the entire blade; about'a fore-and-aft axis; Both edges of the moldboard; are provided with cutting edges and with road contacting shoes, and the moldboard isso'shaped that it presentsthe same working surface with either edge up. Hence the blade is equally effective when used for plowing to either, side. While snow plows have heretofore; been proposed in which the blade is capable of being inverted by rotating itthrough substantially a half revolution; the mechanisms proposed for this purpose have left a good; deal' tobe desired,

The primary object ofthe invention is toprovide a snow plow having. a moldboardzthe angularity of which can. be reversed by inverting the moldboard by power operated rotating means and which lS' CO11'lp-&C i, sturdy and simplein construction. 1

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following. description taken in connection with the accompanyingv drawings, wherein;

Figure l is a perspective view of the plow as seen from above and behind the plow;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the plow, parts at the right being broken away;

7 Figure 3 is-a rear elevation of the plow blade, shown inverted with respect to Figures 1- and 2, and with the plow supporting frameremoved;

Figure 4 is a front view. of the plow, the plow blade being shown in full lines adjusted to discharge to the left side of the road, and: in broken lines, reversed to discharge to"- the? right;

2,817,910 Patented 3 1 Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view as" seen from the right rear; I

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view as seen from the right'front; I 7' Figure 7 is .an'enlarged sectional viewon the'lin'e 7*7 of Figure 1; I

Figure 8 is an enlarged, detail view of a portio'ri of F r Figure 9 is a rear elevation of the plow supporting frame andassociatedparts; v F

Figure 10 is a sectional view on the lineflfl ldof Figure 7; and v p Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the hydrauliccircuit for the plow reversing mechanism. N

A complete snow plow assembly according: to the present invention is shown in Figures 1,2 and 4; As there shown, the unit includes a plow'indicated generally at 20, having a blade 21 adapted to ride along the roadway to be plowed, on either of two sets of plow shoes 22. The plow 20 is carried by and rotatably mounted ona tiltable pl'ow supporting frame 23, which frame'is pivoted at 24 to the forward ends of two'p'ush' bars 25. The supporting frame 23" is also connected to thepush bars 25 by two links 26 which are pivoted at either end tothe push bars and to arms 27- secured to the supporting frame 23. The links 26 may, if desired, be made adjustable in length to facilitate fitting the plow todilferent vehicles;

The rear ends of the push bars'ZS are pivotallyconnected' by pins 28 to'a push frame 29 which maybe of standard construction and which? is adapted to be secured to'the front end of the motor vehicle. The push frame 29 also carries a lifting device 30, whichmay likewise-be of" standard construction, and which is provided with a pivoted arm 31 which is adapted to be'raisedor lowered by an hydraulic cylinder 32. The'forward end of the arm-3 1' carries a nose chain' 33" which may have two branches, one connected to each of the links 26. By raising'the arm 31, the entire plow is' raised b'y'th'e nose chain33, thereby lifting the plow clear of the-'roa'd either for carrying or'for'invertin'g thepl'ow blade" by rotating it through approximately degrees with respect to the supporting frame 23'by' mechanism to b'efdescrihed.

The plow 20, shown also in Figures 3,f 5 and 6,-coiriprises theblade'zl and thecone housing 35 which is welded thereto. The housing 35; more fully described hereinafter, is joined to the blade 21 at 'a'n' angle" which determines the angularity of the pl'owin it's'workingp'dsitio'rr on the roadway with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle to which the p'low'is secured.

The blade 21 i dished in the usual manner withits concave surface to the front and flares'from' it compare: tiv'elynarrow leading end-to a-wider, and hence higher, trailing end. The blade is symmetrical with respectto a center line indicated at AA in Figure? and i's; more sharply c'urved at the leading, narrow end thanat the trailing, wider end; The curving of' the blade-is preferably done in progressive steps as'in'dicate'd in Figures 1-4, among others.

Two nose shoes 36- (Figures 2 and 6) are bolted, to the leading end'of blade 21 for ridin'gup over'sharp' ohstructions such as-cartracks; The trailing erid of blade 21% is beaded at 37- (Figures I and 3*) for reinforcem nt and to avoid sharp' edges, and is also'curved back on either side of the center line A-A for bevelinfg the side snow bank. The trailing end may be provided with" a tubular reinforcing rib 38 welded to'therear surface of the blade. Removable cutting edges 39 are bolted to the upper and' lowe'r edges o'f the" blade so as to be easily replaced when theybecome worn, asar'e the plow shoes 22. 'Hons'irig 35 is or irregular polyhedral sliape and i preferably formed of steel plate, bent and welded to comprise a plurality of irregularly shaped fiat surfaces as shown in the drawings. Toward its rear end, the perimeter of housing 35 is a many-sided polygon approximating a circle as best seen in Figures 1 and 3. The rear surface of housing 35 is formedof an annular steel face plate 40 (Figure 5 the face plate being welded to the rear ends of the sidewalls of housing (Figures 7 and 8).

Within the housing 35 are the principal parts of the plow-rotating mechanism which include two nested cones: the plow cone 41 which is secured to the face plate of the housing 35, and the bearing cone 42 which is secured to the supporting frame 23 (Figures 5, 6 and 7).

The plow cone 41 is of generally frustro-conical shape and is preferably formed with a series of irregular fiat surfaces, as shown in Figure 5. The rear and larger open end of cone 41 is welded to the inner perimeter of the annular face plate 40 as shown in Figures 5, 7 and 8, and the smaller, forward end is closed with a fiat plate 43 welded thereto, to which is secured the flange 44 of the stub shaft 45, hereinafter more fully described. The

axis, extended, of the plow cone 41 intersects the center line A-A (Figure 3) of the plow blade 21 substantially at the center of the plow blade (Figure 4) by reason of the shape of the housing 35, and the plow is symmetrical with respect to a plane which includes said axis and said center line.

The bearing cone 42 is also generally frustro-conical in shape and is co-axial with and nested within the plow cone 41, which is rotatable thereabout. The cone 42 is preferably formed with its sidewalls curved in progressive steps as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. A bearing plate 46 is welded to the smaller, forward end of cone 42, which plate carries the roller bearing 47 (Figures 6 and 7). The stub shaft is rotatably supported within and by the bearing 47 which thus indirectly supports the forward end of the plow cone 41. To the larger, rear end of cone 42 is welded the annular bearing ring which is substantially larger in diameter than the central opening in face plate 40 of the housing 35. A spacer ring 49 and retaining ring 50 are bolted to face plate 40 and form an annular groove in which the bearing ring 48 is contained as best seen in Figure 8. The spacer ring 49 has an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of bearing ring 48 and is slightly thicker, so that the face plate 40 and associated parts are free to rotate on the bearing ring 48. The bearing ring 48 is secured to the supporting frame 23, for example, by means of suitable bolts passing through brackets 51 (Figure 6) on the frame 23 and into threaded apertures 52 (Figure 5) in the ring 48.

It will now be evident that the plow blade 20 and the parts secured thereto, including the plow cone 41, are rotatably mounted on the bearing cone 42 for rotation with respect thereto.

The supporting frame 23 is provided with a cross member 53 (Figures 7 and 9) having a bushing 54 welded or otherwise secured thereto. Bearing 54 carries the reduced, rearward end of the shaft 55 of the plow-rotating mechanism now to be described.

The forward end of the plow-rotating shaft 55 is adapted to fit within a central socket 56 in the end of the stub shaft 45 of the plow cone 41. A collar 57 secured to shaft 55 adjacent its forward end abuts the end of stub shaft 45 and is provided with a series of key pins 58, six in number, spaced around shaft 55, which in effect form a splined shaft connection. The shaft 55, forward of collar 57, is grooved to receive the pins as shown in Figures 7 and 10, and the socket 56 is likewise grooved to receive these pins. It will be apparent that when shaft 55 is rotated the plow cone 41 and the plow 20 are rotated about the bearing cone 42.

The shaft 55 is also provided with a flange 59 fixed thereto to which is bolted the sun gear 60 of an epicyclic gearing train for rotating shaft 55. Two planetary pinions 61 of this train are secured on stub shafts 62 which are rotatably mounted at either end of a crank arm 63 which is rotatably carried on shaft 55 between the sun gear 68 and bearing 54, as shown in Figures 7 and 9. The pinions 61 mesh with sun gear 60 and also with an internally toothed ring gear 64 which is bolted to the annular bearing ring 48 which forms the base of the bearing cone 42. The number of teeth on ring gear 64, pinions 61 and sun gear 60, may be the order of 46, 8 and 30, respectively, so that less than a quarter turn of the crank arm 63 is needed to reverse the plow.

The support frame 23 is of suitable steel plate and angle construction welded together for adequate strength, and is provided with a well 65 at the lower end. In the well 65 are hingedly secured the lower ends of a pair of hydraulic cylinders 66, as shown in Figures 7 and 9, which are preferably of the double acting ram type. Fittings 67 (Figure 9) serve to receive flexible hoses (not shown) for connecting the rams 66 to an hydraulic sys tem mounted on the vehicle to which the plow is attached. The ends of the piston rods 68 of the cylinders 66 are hingedly connected to the shafts 62 of the pinions 61, the ends of crank arm 63 being slotted for this purpose.

The hydraulic system and its connections to the rams 66 are shown in Figure 11. The pump P picks up oil from a reservoir or sump 70 through an inlet line 71 and dclivers it through a pressure line 72 to a control valve 73. An exhaust line 74 connects the valve 73 to the sump 70. and service lines 75 and '76 connect it to the rams 66. The valve 73 may conveniently be of the plunger or spool type, having four positions. In the so-called float posi tion shown in full lines in Figure ll, the four lines 72, i4. 75 and 76 are all connected together within the valve 73, so that the pump discharges directly to the sump, and the supply lines 75 and 76 float on the system. In the broken line position immediately beneath the float position, valve 73 connects service line 75 to the pressure line 72 and connects service line 76 to the exhaust line 74, while blocking the pump off from the exhaust line. The next lower position is the so-called hold position, in which both service lines are blocked off and the pres sure line 72 is connected to the exhaust line 74. In the lowermost position, service line 75 is connected to exhaust and line 76 to pressure, and pressure line 72 is blocked off from the exhaust line 74. It will be observed that the rams 66 are so connected to the lines 75 and 76 that when one piston rod 68 is extended, the other is retracted.

The operation of the reversing mechanism is as follows, it being assumed that the plow is first lifted from the roadway by the lifting device 30 and chain 33: When oil under pressure is supplied through valve 73 to line 75, one piston rod 68 is extended and the other is retracted, thus rotating the crank arm 63 about the plow-rotating shaft 55 in a particular direction. The pinions 61 are carried with the crank arm 63 and, since they mesh with the fixed ring gear 64 and sun gear 60, the sun gear and its shaft 55 are rotated. The shaft 55, being keyed to the stub shaft 45 of the plow cone 41, the cone 41 and plow 20 are also rotated. When valve 73 is moved to supply oil under pressure to line 76, the plow is, of course, rotated in the other direction. In both directions of rotation,

the nose shoes 36 are kept downward.

When it is desired to carry the plow idly along the road in its lifted position, the valve 73 is kept in its hold position, thereby hydraulically holding the plow from swinging from side to side while it is being transported.

When plowing, the lower cutting edge 39 rests on the roadway, and the plow must be free to tilt sideways so that this cutting edge can follow lateral irregularities in the road. In order to accomplish this, the hydraulic control valve 73 is kept in the float position while plowing.

The pistons 68 are thus free to move in and out, and accordingly permit rocking movement of the plow. The plow may, of course, pivot up and down about the pins 28 to follow the longitudinal contours of the road, so that at all times the cutting edge follows the pavement for proper cleaning action. If it is desired to diminish the pressure of the lower cutting edge on the pavement, supporting chains may be used to transfer a portion of the dead weight of the snow plow to the front axle of the vehicle. Such chains may be connected between an upper stationary frame member of the lifting device 30 and the plow supporting frame 23, and the supporting chains may desirably have spring-cushioned connections to the plow.

When plowing with one of the cutting edges 39 resting on the roadway in a substantially horizontal position, the other cutting edge 39 at the top of the plow is at a considerable angle, of the order of thirty degrees, to the horizontal, due to the flaring of the blade 21 from leading to trailing end. The lower or working cutting edge 39 is, of course, somewhat below the frame of the vehicle to which the plow is attached and, therefore, below the push frame 29. It will be apparent, therefore, that the common axis of the cones 41 and 42 is inclined somewhat to the horizontal but the direction of this axis is fore and aft with respect to the vehicle. The nested cones 41 and 42 with the compact, heavy duty roller bearing 47 located at their forward, smaller ends and the larger, more extensive bearing surface provided at their larger, rearward ends by the bearing ring 48 in the annular pocket between the face plate 40 and retaining ring 50, constitute a simple, compact and sturdy means of supporting a moldboard plow for rotation about such a fore-and-aft axis in order to reverse the plow. On inspection of Figure 7, it will be evident that the spacing of the bearings 47 and 48 along this fore-and-aft axis provides a cantilever-like means of support for the plow 20 which resists any twisting movement of the plow, not only during reversal of the plow, but also while the plow is in use. The annular bearing ring 48 has a diameter somewhat in excess of twice the distance between the center lines of the bearings 47 and 48, so that, in any plane such as that of Figure 7, a strong three-point support is obtained.

While there is herein described, and in the drawings shown, an illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may comprehend other constructions, arrangement of parts, details and features without departing from the spirit of the invention. I desire to be limited, therefore, only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a snow plow adapted for use with a push frame and lifting device assembly mounted on the front end of a motor vehicle, in combination, a plow supporting frame, means for pivotally connecting said supporting frame to said push frame, means for connecting said supporting frame to said lifting device, a plow having a moldboard angled crosswise thereof, means for mounting said plow on said supporting frame for rotation about a fore-and-aft axis intersecting said moldboard substantially centrally thereof, said mounting means comprising inner and outer nested members, one of said nested members being rigidly secured to said plow and the other to said supporting frame, and two coaxial bearings spaced along said fore-and-aft axis of rotation and connecting the adjacent ends of the nested members for relative rotation therebetween, power means carried by said supporting frame, and drive means operatively connected to said power means and said plow for rotating the plow when it is lifted off the ground by said lifting device, said drive means extending through said nested members axially thereof and including epicyclic gearing the ring gear of which is secured to one of said nested members and the shaft of the sun gear of which is secured to the other of said nested members.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said nested members are of substantially frusto-conical shape, said ring gear is secured to the large end of one of said nested members, and said sun gear shaft is secured to the small end of the other of said nested members.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said epicyclic gearing includes a pair of planetary pinions meshing with said ring gear and said sun gear and rotatably mounted at either end of a crank member rotataole about said sun gear shaft, and in which said power means comprises a pair of hydraulic cylinders pivotally secured to said supporting frame and having the pistons thereof pivotally secured to either end of said crank member.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said moldboard flares rearward from a comparatively narrow leading end to a wider and higher trailing end, and said moldboard is symmetrical with respect to a plane passing through said axis of rotation and the center line of the moldboard, whereby the plow presents the same Working surface with either edge up and may be reversed by rotating the plow through an angle of substantially degrees.

5. In a snow plow adapted for use with a push frame and lifting device assembly mounted on the front end of a motor vehicle, in combination, a plow supporting frame, means for pivotally connecting said supporting frame to said push frame, means for connecting said supporting frame to said lifting device, a plow having a moldboard angled crosswise thereof, said moldboard flaring rearward from a comparatively narrow leading end to a wider and higher trailing end, means for mounting said plow on said supporting frame for rotation about a fore-and-aft axis intersecting said moldboard substantially centrally thereof, said mounting means comprising inner and outer nested members of substantially frustoconical shape, one rigidly secured to said plow and the other to said supporting frame, and bearings located at the adjacent ends of said nested members and connecting the same for relative rotation therebetween, said moldboard being symmetrical with respect to a plane passing through said axis of rotation and the center line of the moldboard, whereby the plow presents the same working surface with either edge up and may be reversed by rotating the plow through an angle of substantially 180 degrees, power means carried by said supporting frame, and drive means including epicyclic gearing operatively connected to said power means and said plow for rotating the plow when it is lifted 01f the ground by said lifting device, the planet member of said epicyclic gearing being connected to said power means, the ring gear thereof being secured to the large end of one of said frusto-conical members, and the shaft of the sun gear thereof being secured to the small end of the other of said frusto-conical members.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 5 in which said planet member includes a pair of planetary pinions meshing with said ring gear and said sun gear and rotatably mounted at either end of a crank member rotatable about said sun gear shaft, and in which said power means comprises a pair of hydraulic cylinders pivotally secured to said supporting frame and having the pistons thereof pivotally secured to either end of said crank member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,592,304 Keyes July 13, 1926 2,268,570 Osgood Jan. 6, 1942 2,430,221 Frink et al. Nov. 4, 1947 2,604,220 Frischmann July 22, 1952 

